Circuit arrangement for an ion relay and alpha mechanical relay



06L 1933- M. STEENBECK 1,930,829

CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR AN ION RELAY AND A MECHANICAL RELAY Filed July 11, 1931 Patented Oct. 17 1933' 1 Application July 11, 1931, "SM M 550,203,

i x and inGermanyJuly 15,1931

My invention relates to a connection ofanion relay and a mechanicalrelay. i 1 7 Ion relays have, as-is well known,"onhe one hand the great advantage '0'! 1 being highly senv 5. sitive and extremely rapidly responsive, but on the oth'e r' hand I the serious disadvantage of having a comparatively short life. The object of the present invention is to lengthen the life of ion relays in most of the fields of application 10 i without lessening the favorable properties of these relays in the arrangementor by the method of connection. In most cases in which glow relays may be used it is only necessary to give or to initiate, the desired switching impulse by means of; the glow relay. When this switching impulse has been imparted, the glow relay may be extinguished through any kind of arrangement of mechanical or other relays. In most prior art relay circuits the glow relay is located at the places where otherwise a mechanical relay might be located. This manner of employment of the glow relay does not, however, take its particular properties into account. In

the mechanical relay occurs substantiallyfonly,

during the actual switching operation. In contrast to the mechanical relaythe length of the life of the ion-relayis not mainly determined by the number of switching operations, but by the total length of time during which current hasv passed through the relay. If the ion or glow relay continues to carry current after giving a switching impulse, its life will be unnecessarily shortened without circuit.

mechanicalrelay are so placed inv an arrangement that the ion relay carries current only'at the moment of the switching action and that during the rest of thetime the current passes through a mechanical relay which is switched in by the ion tube and in its turn automatically cuts 'out orshunts the ion tube.

As an example for the application of my invention, an arrangement" is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawingand describedin the following for switching on and off the light automatically in dependence of the intensity of the daylight,- e. g. on the disappearance and appearance, respectively, of daylight. Insteadof the varying intensity of the daylight,

sources. r

the case of a mechanical relay, it is in most cases any advantage to the relay According to my invention an ion relay and a variationsin. intensity of artiflciali sources 01!.- light may of course also be -;'used as impulse?- In this diagram 1 represents a photo-electric cel1, 2 a constant resistor; both connected in seriesv 6D A with a source ofc'urrent 3. "Between cell- 1 and resistor 2 a shunt connection branches oil which contains anion-relay tube 4, and the armature 6 of an electro-mechanical relay comprising the solenoid coils "7 and 8, and the contact element 9 operated by armature 6 for opening and closing the local power circuit '12 which operates the lighting system 11. The armature 6 has two staple resting positions against contacts a and b, in

either of which it remains even if no current 70,1;

flows through solenoid coils '7 or 8. In the position shown the armature restsagainst contact a, where it maintains local power switch 10 closed,

"so that current is supplied to lighting system 11.

With armature 6 on contact a, a local circuit is set, which includes ion relay 4 and solenoid coil 7, and which is in shunt with resistance 2. Since day-light is assumed to be absent from cell 1, thenormal high resistanceof the photo-cell prevents much current from flowing through the cell circuitfand the potential at v the ends of, the aforementioned shunt circuit is nothigh enough to cause relay 4 to respond. As soon as suflicient day-light appears and strikes cell 1, the resistance of the latter is materially decreased, and now 8512 k sufiicient local current flows through the cell and ion relay/l to energize coil 7, whereby armature 6 is thrown to the right against contact b. Thus I the local lights 11 are extinguished and 'at the same time a different local circuit is set at con- 905;,

tact b, which includes coil 8 and ion relay4, and, which is connected in shunt with cell 1. So long as day-light maintains the cell resistance low,

the potential difference at the ends of the lastmentioned shunt circuit is not greatenough to 95,.,.

bring ion relay 4 to the point where it responds,

and therefore armature Gremains on contact I).

As soonas day-light disappears the resistance of cell lmaterially increases and now the potential tubes or glow tubes having a plurality of electrodes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In. a control arrangement for an. electric work circuitan ion relay responsive at a desirable minimum potential, and a double acting electromagnetic relay having an armature foropeming and closing the work circuit, and two coils fmz,

moving the armature into the work circuit opening and closing position, an armaturec'ontaciiin each of said positions each contact connected respectively with one terminal of one of. saidcoils one electrode of said ion relay being connected to said armature and the. other electrode being, connected to the other terminals of said coils, and means for applying to said ion relay and to the coil which happens to be connected to it by its pertaining armature contact, a potential so!!! cient for the relay response to permit ourrient flow through it and through said connected coil to move. the annamm tnthe other: armatuneieorm tact", tor interrupting the relay circuit, andtior; setting the circuit through the other coil.

2; a control arrangement foran: electric work circuit, an ion relay responsive; at a-,desirabie potential,v and a double acting, electromagnetic relay having an armature for opening and closing the work circuit, and two coils for moving the armature into the work circuit opening and closing position, an armature contact in each of said positions connected respectively with one terminal of said coils, one electrode of said ion relay being connected to said armature, a photo-electric cell connected with the other ion relay electrode and the other terminal of one pf said, coils, and a resistance also connected with said other ion relay electrode and with the other terminal of the other of said coils, and a source oi potential connected in series with said cell and said resistance, for applying, when the cell is light-energized, a potential to said ion relay sufficient for its response to permit current flow through it and through one of said coils to move the armaturefrom one to the other contact to interrupt the relay current and to set the circuit through the other of said coils, by which sufllcient, potential for response is applied to said ion relay when said photo-cell is deenergized, for

movingysaid armature from said other contact bacletmthe-first contact.

MAX STEENBECK. 

